The present invention relates to a blow molded plastic container of laminated construction for syrup or flavor concentrate suitable for use with a post-mix beverage dispenser. More specifically, the present invention relates to a disposable and recyclable container for supplying syrup or flavor concentrate, said container being connectable to a syrup pump which withdraws the syrup or flavor concentrate from the container by suction and feeds it to a post-mix dispenser.
In post-mix beverage dispensers, such as those used in fast-food restaurants or the like, the syrup is presently supplied from either a reusable stainless steel, pressurized container with a five-gallon capacity, or a disposable bag-in-box type of container. The stainless steel type of container is known as a "figal", an accepted abbreviation in the beverage dispensing art for a syrup container with a five gallon capacity fabricated primarily of stainless steel. "Figal" containers are generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,577 to Tennison. Because the figal container must be strong enough to withstand the CO.sub.2 pressure used to pressurize the Figal to force the syrup to the dispenser, it is relatively expensive to manufacture, and it must be kept after use and then returned to the syrup supplier, where it is sanitized and reused.
In contrast, bag-in-box packages for syrup are disposable, more convenient and less expensive. However, known bag-in-box type packages are not easily recyclable because of the many different materials used therein including the outer shrink wrap, the paperboard box, the two layer bag, the spout, the dipstrip, and the valve. Thus, an associated waste disposal problem results. A typical bag-in-box type package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,636 to Credle.
Bag-in-box packages of the general type disclosed in the Credle '636 Patent are in wide use today in beverage dispensing systems which include gas-operated reciprocating pumps in the syrup line between the bag-in-box package and the dispenser. The syrup line is connected to the bag by a quick-disconnect coupling. An example of such a quick-disconnect coupling is also illustrated in the Credle '636 Patent.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a disposable, inexpensive syrup container for use with post-mix beverage dispensers, which is also recyclable.